Jelani Woods Needs to Have Strong Minicamp to Force Jets' Hand

With the three phases of 2026 OTAs in the books, the New York Jets will swiftly transition to mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. The three-day event offers players another opportunity to impress the coaching staff and carve out a role before training camp.

Looking back at the OTAs, there were several players on the roster bubble who stood out, such as receivers Jamaal Pritchett and Isaiah Williams. Another pass-catcher whose stock rose in these sessions is tight end Jelani Woods.

The former Virginia Cavalier was one of the top performers in the first OTA practices, according to Jets’ on SI’s Nick Faria. "Jelani Woods, a waiver-wire pickup from last season, made multiple catches over the middle of the field and looked quite good with the ball in his hands."

With the Jets' No. 16 overall selection, Kenyon Sadiq being sidelined after undergoing hernia surgery, Woods has benefited from the extra reps and made the most of his opportunity. However, the Georgia native must replicate his play in minicamp if he’s to have any chance of making the 53-man roster.

Jelani Woods can take another step towards saving job in minicamp

Despite spending all of last season with the Jets, Woods played 60 offensive snaps. He finally received a consistent role on offense once Mason Taylor was ruled out for the final four games with a neck injury. In this stretch, Woods played in three of the four games as a backup to Jeremy Ruckert, logging only one reception (three targets) for four yards.

While he wasn’t productive in his limited reps last year, he bounced back with his performance in the OTAs. Although his strong showing in the spring doesn’t mean much, it is encouraging to see him play well, considering Woods missed the 2023 and 2024 seasons with hamstring and turf toe injuries.

The former 2022 third-round selection displayed promise in his rookie season with the Indianapolis Colts, recording 25 receptions (40 targets) for 312 yards and three touchdowns. His athleticism, combined with his 6-foot-7, 253-pound size, makes him the perfect red-zone target.

Unfortunately, this is not enough to guarantee him a roster spot. With the selection of Sadiq in the NFL Draft and pairing him alongside Taylor and Ruckert, Woods faces a difficult uphill climb to earn a roster spot.

Teams rarely keep four tight ends on the initial 53-man roster, with head coach Aaron Glenn retaining three last year. However, there could be an exception with Woods, given his connection to offensive coordinator Frank Reich.

His only productive season occurred when Reich was the playcaller, and Woods’ ties to him can help him secure a spot. However, prior success won’t be enough, as he must continue his impressive play in minicamp.

This means outshining and surpassing Ruckert, who was relatively quiet in OTAs, in the depth chart. The former Ohio State Buckeye has the edge over Woods due to his familiarity with the system and his role as Taylor's backup last year.

Yet, despite being a healthy option, Ruckert doesn’t offer the same receiving upside. At his 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame, he should be a reliable red-zone threat; however, he’s only recorded one touchdown.

But Ruckert does add something as blocker, posting a 59.0 run-blocking grade, according to Pro Football Focus. As a TE3, he'll likely be asked to handle those duties again with Sadiq and Taylor serving as the primary pass catchers in the room.

Although the depth chart won’t be finalized until the end of training camp, minicamp will play a factor in Woods’ tenure with the Jets. If he can continue to make plays in the middle of the field and use his physical prowess to his advantage in the red zone, he could very well be on the roster in Week 1.

Otherwise, Woods risks being the odd man out in a crowded position group.

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